Rick Lazio says 'It's time' to run for governor

Ex-Congressman took on Hillary Clinton in 2000; will announce this week

Frank Eltman Associated Press

Published 1:00 am, Monday, September 21, 2009

GARDEN CITY — He was the baby-faced Long Island congressman who took on first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton in the historic 2000 race for the U.S. Senate. The crushing defeat took him out of politics.

Now, with state government in disarray after an embarrassing power struggle that paralyzed the Legislature for over a month and the sinking approval numbers of Democratic Gov. David Paterson, Republican Rick Lazio is set to announce his candidacy this week for governor.

"It's time," said the moderately graying 51-year-old in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "The state is in terrible trouble; clearly it's the worst fiscal crisis."

Lazio has been advising on investments and public policy for JPMorgan Chase since he left Congress after four terms and the Senate loss to Clinton. He said his banking and political experience make him "uniquely qualified" to lead the state.

"It's time for me to step up and show some leadership," he said. "People want somebody who is willing to fundamentally rethink how state government operates."

Lazio called this summer's failed attempt by Republicans to wrest control of leadership in the state Senate "the most embarrassing political episode in my lifetime." But, he said, the coup was symptomatic of much bigger problems in Albany.

Lazio said he would call for a constitutional convention to eliminate the Assembly and Senate and create a state Legislature with one chamber instead of two. Nebraska is currently the only state with a unicameral lawmaking body, but proposals have been floated in Maine and Connecticut in recent years.

"There's no transparency; we have to eliminate the game playing where the Senate passes a bill and the Assembly won't even take it up for a vote," Lazio said. "People have lost faith."

Lazio would face either Gov. David Paterson, who has said he intends to seek a full term when ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer's term is up next year despite pressure from Democratic leaders and the White House to drop out; or party challengers that will likely include the more popular state Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo.

On the Republican side, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani is also mulling a run.